Agenda and minutes

Members were asked to consider;

• The LGA response to the events in Birmingham schools and whether an LGA improvement offer relating to the changing council role in education should be developed.
• The Le Grand Review on the delivery of children’s services and how the LGA can further support councils to improve children’s services.

Members also discussed the following issues highlighted in the report;

• Fines for parents taking their child out of school and Head teachers being given the flexibility to make decisions on student absence.
• The funding gap between local authority schools and academies and regional differences between funding per pupil.
• Developing a piece of work to clarify the role and responsibilities of councils in education for parents and residents.
• Issues surrounding delivery of children’s services by third parties.
• An LGA response to Michael Gove’s comments on ‘British values’
• The role of sector-led improvement to support councils in their education role in addition to a LGA improvement offer.
• LGA support in challenging interactions with government in relation to academies.

Councillor Simmonds summarised the key themes from member’s discussion;

• Agreed there was clear cross- party support in the LGA sending a message that Head teachers should be given the flexibility to use their discretion on school absence.
• Agreed To develop a piece of work looking at the balance between autonomy and accountability for academies and to articulate what councils want accountability to look like.
• Agreed that through the Julian le Grand review there was an opportunity to articulate how we might increase the options available to councils looking at alternative models of delivery for children’s services.

Action

• The LGA to request the final report of Professor Le Grand’s review be brought for discussion at the National Children and Adults Services Conference on 30 October.

David informed members that this topic had received a high level of media interest recently and this was an opportunity to discuss the next steps.

Member’s noted the report and highlighted the following issues;

• The need to involve more employers and employer representatives in discussions.
• Barriers encountered by those leaving education at 16 and trying to return to education after several years.
• Value of localism in tackling NEETS, councils often have a better understanding than outside bodies not from the region.
• Issues around transport costs, especially for those living in rural areas.
• A National Youth Register of Careers.
• A greater push for apprenticeship schemes in the public sector and publicly funded organisations.

The Board agreed to support the development of proposals for a ‘life-long learning passport’ for a flexible education offer and to look at bringing in partners, such as the Association of Colleges in order to build consensus.

Action

·         To develop proposal agreed by members and report back at a future Board meeting.

Board members were asked to note the report, updating on the work of the Adoption Leadership Board and to consider the proposal to run a nationwide Corporate Parenting week.

Members discussed issues and concerns surrounding a corporate parenting week and regional Member Champions for adoption.

Decisions

• To continue adoption support through existing regional arrangements
• Adoption Leadership Board activity needs to be shared more widely.
• It is important to celebrate the achievements and maintain the identity of corporate parenting week.
• Leave any decision on commissioning LSCB’s until all the issues and areas of strength are known.

Actions

• Comms to think how to take forward corporate parenting.
• Develop a joint member and officer workshop on LSCB’s.

Board members noted the key achievements of the year and discussed priorities for the year ahead including:

• Post 16 transport issues;
• Accountability in education
• Closer working with the safer and stronger community board to ensure councils are effective at identifying and tackling child sex exploitation, including FGM;
• 0-5 public health transfer and the evolution of children’s centres
• What good practice looks like in child and adolescent mental health services;
• A lifelong learning passport post 16;
• How the member support offer needs to evolve.

Members noted the updates contained within the report.

Members noted the time and location of the National Children and Adult Services Conference on 30 October.